Finish the job, DOT. NOW!
The Issue
The Riverside Drive Viaduct construction – a project affecting over 8,000 New Yorkers and four years behind schedule – is abandoned. And the NYC Department of Transportation is ghosting Washington Heights.
Washington Heights has had enough.
Sign the petition and join us in demanding action from city administrators, elected officials, and, most of all, our mayor on this unsafe and unacceptable situation!
Visit our website to learn more and contact us.
Who are We and What is This About?
We are a volunteer organization of Washington Heights residents and regular New Yorkers, just like you. We live in the neighborhood directly impacted by the stalled Riverside Drive Viaduct rehabilitation. The current situation – a project four years behind schedule and abandoned by the contractor two years ago – is unsafe and unacceptable, affecting the daily lives, health, and safety of nearly 9,000 residents.
The background: In spring 2019, the NYC Department of Transportation hired the contractor Judlau to perform restoration work on the Riverside Drive Viaduct, a critical piece of street infrastructure in upper Manhattan. The project was scheduled to finish in summer 2022.
In summer 2024, with the project unfinished and two years behind schedule, Judlau walked off the job. They and DOT abandoned a neighborhood blighted by a sprawling work zone, closed sidewalks, concrete barriers, and piles of construction debris.
Residential buildings are cut off from EMS and FDNY by the work zone, which has already caused delays in ambulance response to heart attacks and strokes. Seniors and others with mobility issues have no ADA access; many report that they no longer leave their homes for fear of injury while trying to exit their buildings. Many have difficulty using Access-a-Ride, the BX6 bus (access to which is greatly impacted by the work zone), and getting to important medical appointments. Rats nest in forgotten construction supplies. A formerly vibrant shared space of parks, sidewalks and promenade is withering behind concrete barriers.
And it’s not just pedestrians that are negatively affected. There have been numerous car accidents due to blind spots created by barricades. Cyclists dread riding through the construction zone; there are no shoulders or bike lanes because of “temporary” lane changes for the construction.
An ongoing impact survey conducted by our organization received more than 200 responses in just five days, showing that the stalled construction is of great concern to this community. More than 60 percent of those surveyed (as of July 22, 2026) indicated they’ve experienced harm to their daily living, healthcare and safety as a result of the abandoned construction.
By its inaction the city allows this community’s quality of life to deteriorate with every passing day. Quick and decisive action is called for before someone dies because EMTs or firefighters cannot access their building in time.
We ask: What will our mayor do to resolve this situation and move the project forward? Will he show the residents of Washington Heights that their lives and safety matter to the city?
917
The Issue
The Riverside Drive Viaduct construction – a project affecting over 8,000 New Yorkers and four years behind schedule – is abandoned. And the NYC Department of Transportation is ghosting Washington Heights.
Washington Heights has had enough.
Sign the petition and join us in demanding action from city administrators, elected officials, and, most of all, our mayor on this unsafe and unacceptable situation!
Visit our website to learn more and contact us.
Who are We and What is This About?
We are a volunteer organization of Washington Heights residents and regular New Yorkers, just like you. We live in the neighborhood directly impacted by the stalled Riverside Drive Viaduct rehabilitation. The current situation – a project four years behind schedule and abandoned by the contractor two years ago – is unsafe and unacceptable, affecting the daily lives, health, and safety of nearly 9,000 residents.
The background: In spring 2019, the NYC Department of Transportation hired the contractor Judlau to perform restoration work on the Riverside Drive Viaduct, a critical piece of street infrastructure in upper Manhattan. The project was scheduled to finish in summer 2022.
In summer 2024, with the project unfinished and two years behind schedule, Judlau walked off the job. They and DOT abandoned a neighborhood blighted by a sprawling work zone, closed sidewalks, concrete barriers, and piles of construction debris.
Residential buildings are cut off from EMS and FDNY by the work zone, which has already caused delays in ambulance response to heart attacks and strokes. Seniors and others with mobility issues have no ADA access; many report that they no longer leave their homes for fear of injury while trying to exit their buildings. Many have difficulty using Access-a-Ride, the BX6 bus (access to which is greatly impacted by the work zone), and getting to important medical appointments. Rats nest in forgotten construction supplies. A formerly vibrant shared space of parks, sidewalks and promenade is withering behind concrete barriers.
And it’s not just pedestrians that are negatively affected. There have been numerous car accidents due to blind spots created by barricades. Cyclists dread riding through the construction zone; there are no shoulders or bike lanes because of “temporary” lane changes for the construction.
An ongoing impact survey conducted by our organization received more than 200 responses in just five days, showing that the stalled construction is of great concern to this community. More than 60 percent of those surveyed (as of July 22, 2026) indicated they’ve experienced harm to their daily living, healthcare and safety as a result of the abandoned construction.
By its inaction the city allows this community’s quality of life to deteriorate with every passing day. Quick and decisive action is called for before someone dies because EMTs or firefighters cannot access their building in time.
We ask: What will our mayor do to resolve this situation and move the project forward? Will he show the residents of Washington Heights that their lives and safety matter to the city?
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Petition created on July 9, 2026